Yale Settles Title IX Complaint

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Dear friends of women in science,

It's embarrassing when one's alma mater hits the news as the subject of a Title IX lawsuit, and Yale has been in that situation. If you've read my memoir, Breaking Through the Spiral Ceiling, you will recall the priest who stalked me at Yale and the informal way I tried to resolve the matter before any rules existed.

I was saddened by the need of the women who filed the suit to bring to light Yale's disorganized ways of responding to sexual harrassment complaints and to show how dysfunctional they were for those trying to deal with bad behavior.

I don't know, then, whether to be glad or sorry that the suit was resolved by an agreement, as resported June 18 by Inside Higher Education (click here). It does sound like Yale has streamlined its Byzantine procedures and made it clearer to whom one should complain and what one's options are. I only hope it won't take another round of filing suit later on to make sure there is follow through. We've seen many times that just having procedures that could work is not enough unless the administration of whatever university or college is really committed to making sure the system works. I know that they're looking committed right now. I also fear that once the gun is no longer at Yale's temple, resolution may wane and Yale could find its women unprotected again from Title IX discrimination. I hope they will prove me wrong.

cheers,

Laura

5 Comments | Post a Comment

I don't know. Funny, the concept of the "bulldog pillow," kind of like the Chinese "yellow pillow" that only yielded and never was defeated entirely. But I have to agree with Female Biology Professor this time. Too much spotlight for them to hide now. They must behave. And even if the faculty can't see what's happening (I can see how they'd be separate from the date rapes, etc unless they serve on the Sexual Harassment procedures), the female students are aroused now and won't let anything get by.

KRC

From: Katherina C | July 25, 2012

Hi Laura,
If we women don't work for the common good, then the whole system will be broken if/when we need help ourselves. So I have to hope it will work better now, after having been spotlighted this way.

I know you think Yale acts like a "bulldog pillow" and slowly relaxes into its old behavior, but this time there's legal pressure AND pressure from women faculty to help keep the pillow boxed in. I'll bet it works.

cheers,
FBP

From: Female Biology Professor | July 25, 2012

Hi Anita and Miss Non-Ivy,

When I feel optimistic, I tell myself that there are lots of powerful women at Yale now and they will keep the pressure on. When I feel pessimistic, I decide they each have their own issues and don't have time to worry about the sexual harassment reporting system, and that it can be pretty invisible if things aren't working right.

cheers,
Laura

From: Laura Hoopes | July 25, 2012

Hi Laura,
I think things are a lot mroe supportive at the big state universities like mine (Wisconsin) than at the Ivy League where they are all so rooted by tradition in patriarchy it's not at all easy for them to assume women have any issues.

So I'd bet they'll backslide, just out of habit of ignoring women's needs.

From: Miss Non-Ivy | July 25, 2012

Dear Laura,
I went there too and I suspect they'll do the benign neglect thing as soon as the heat is off. I hope to be mistaken about that, though. More power to the girls who sued!
AZ

From: Anita Z | July 25, 2012

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Yale Settles Title IX Complaint

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